Akala Pledges To Conduct Local Government Election Immediately Sworn-in As Governor

Former governor Adebayo Alao-Akala has said that he would conduct local government election immediately he is sworn in as Oyo State if elected.

Akala who is the Labour Party gubernatorial candidate in Oyo State said this why reacting to the sack of the 33 caretaker chairmen in Oyo State by the Oyo State House of Assembly.

Since the incumbent governor, Abiola Ajimobi came on board, caretaker chairmen have been appointed to head the councils.

Though the opposition are opposed to this but the Governor cited an ongoing court case involving the members of the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) whose tenures have ended and were sent packing as responsible for the delay.
The governor had, on February 10, 2015, written the Oyo State House of Assembly for extension of the tenure of the council chairmen but surprising, the lawmakers who reconvened unannounced yesterday sacked all the chairmen.

Speaking through his director of public affairs, Oludare Ogunlana, Akala said the action of the lawmakers confirmed his earlier stance that the present government is running a sole administration without recourse to due process.

He said alleged Governor Abiola Ajimobi and his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, running an unconstitutional system of local government by imposing his lackey as caretaker chairmen, adding that there was no time the court asked the State Government not to conduct local government election.

His words: “While we sympathise with the lawmakers for finding their voices after a long criminal silence as they have always been coerced into doing the bidding of the governor, we are assuring that immediately we get the mantle of leadership, our first assignment will be to conduct local government election because that is the only tier of government that is closer to the people. It is through the LG that we can know what is happening as regards the welfare of the people.”

He, therefore, urged the people to troop out to collect their permanent voter’s cards as that is the only weapon through which the government of their own can be installed.